Can We Keep Him?
by dfriendly
Summary: Gwen and Merlin find a baby griffin and have to convince Arthur to let them keep it. ArthurxGwen


**Title:** Can We Keep Him?

**Fandom:** _Merin_

**Characters/Pairings:** Gwen/Arthur, Merlin

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 619

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Merlin_. All I possess is my adoration for it.

**Summary:** Gwen and Merlin find a baby griffin and have to convince Arthur to let them keep it.

**Author's notes:** Written for the Fluff Fest at the LJ comm thefuturequeen. The prompt was "Gwen/anyone (where 'anyone' preferably is Arthur, Morgana, Merlin or Lancelot) - They find a wee tiny gryphon/basilisk/questing beast/dragon/other mythical beast in the forest. Fluff ensues." I went with wee tiny griffin, since in my head it was the fluffiest & cutest. D'awwwww.

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"Are you two in-_sane_?"

"See, I told you he'd react this way, Gwen."

From the table she sat at, Guinevere tutted at Arthur before turning back to the baby griffin and feeding it a slice of raw pork.

"We can't keep that… that _monster_!"

"He's a _baby_!" the queen countered in horrified tone.

"So?"

"It's parentless, Arthur," Merlin tried to reason. "I killed its mother."

"With good reason! The thing was eating villagers!"

"But I didn't know it had a child to feed," he shrugged.

"Oh that's a _swell_ excuse, Merlin," Arthur drawled with sarcasm. "I should have just told the villages, 'Sorry, guys. But a griffin's gotta eat.'"

"Well, okay. So maybe the mother had to be killed. But I have a responsibility to its chick… cub? – to its baby."

"A baby that feasts on human flesh! It's only a matter of time before it starts terrorizing the people on its own."

"Now, Arthur," Gwen jumped in. Finished feeding it, she was now scratching the damned thing's head – and it seemed to be enjoying it from the strange coo-purring sound that it made as it nuzzled against her hand. It stretched contently and rustled its small immature wings as if in bliss. "He's already eating other types of meat with no fuss, so he doesn't just eat humans."

"Probably prefers it, though." Arthur muttered, crossing his arms like a pouting child. "One nip of your finger and it'll remember how tasty we all are."

"And Merlin and I will train him so that he'll behave," she plowed over him.

"Oh, great! He'll make such a fantastic pet! Who needs dogs when you could have a griffin?"

"And then you'll be the most feared king in all of Albion. So powerful and fearsome, that you could tame a griffin. And able to let it loose upon anyone who challenges you."

"Guinevere, I thought you of all people would disapprove of me ruling by fear."

Which seemed ironic, given how harmless it looked compared to its full-grown counterpart.

"I'm not," she said with a sly smile on her face. "You wouldn't _actively_ threaten to set him loose. We'd just let word spread around. The people would be proud to boast of their brave sovereign. And other kings would think twice before going to war with us. In fact, your casualness of having a griffin would be even more threatening than if you constantly bragged it, because what kind of fearless man would make light of owning a griffin?"

Arthur chuckled for a moment until he realized what she was doing and shook his head. "No. I cannot allow it. The thing has to _go_." He gave a meaningful look to Merlin, signifying exactly what was implied by 'go'.

Gwen scooped up the griffin and stood up. Standing right in front of her husband, she gripped the animal under its forelegs to hold it up to him.

Arthur looked at Guinevere first, but she raised the creature higher, forcing him to gaze at it instead.

"How can you say that about an _innocent_, _little_ _baby_?" she asked, her voice dripping with sympathy.

The griffin stared back at Arthur with the biggest, brownest, most pathetic eyes the king had ever seen.

_Damn_.

"Fine. But it's your responsibilities," he said, pointing to his wife and friend. "And as soon as I hear about it gnawing on one of the servants' legs, then it really is going. _No argument_."

Gwen grinned and brought it back to cradle in her arms like a child.

Arthur rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, appalled at what he heard next.

"Now, Merlin, what should we name him?"

"I was thinking about 'Rupert'. What about you?"

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I don't know why the name Rupert occurred to me. But I liked it, so I guess this is dedicated to Leon/Rupert Young.


End file.
